i work in a very populous state on the east coast. yet when i look up actions taken against nursing licenses, i get a list of about 50 nurses who have had action taken, some of them going back as far as 2003! there are hospitals near here with over 1000 beds -- how many nurses do you think are employed in just one 1000 bed hospital? how many nurses do you think are employed in just one city like new york, dc, baltimore, philadelphia or boston?
when i lived in wisconsin, i'd get a newsletter quarterly with about 20-25 names of nurses with pending disciplinary action. only a few of those nurses had actually lost their licenses. so where is all this hysteria about "loosing" a nursing license coming from?
we have new grads quitting their jobs after mere months because they're afraid they might "loose" their license -- and by the way, the work is too hard, the hours suck and the other nurses are mean to them. now there's a thread about brutal doctors and calling them -- and someone brings up fear that they might lose their license. what's up with all of this? are nursing schools scaring people silly about the idea of losing your license? or is this just an excuse people are grasping to avoid things they'd rather avoid?
I would have to say YES. They have scared us silly! I even wondered if I wanted to finish school at one point. They told us so many horror stories, they sounded ridiculous and unjust.
In nursing school, it wasn't just drilled into our heads that we needed to protect our licenses, but we were also taken on a "field trip" to the state BON to listen in on cases where nurses had suspended/revoked licenses.
In nursing school, it wasn't just drilled into our heads that we needed to protect our licenses, but we were also taken on a "field trip" to the state BON to listen in on cases where nurses had suspended/revoked licenses.
Every staff meeting we are scolded for not completing some sort of form or documentation to the satisfaction of TPTB. The closing statement by management is always "I don't want to see anyone lose their license". I regard this as a monthly threat intended to scare and dominate.
Frankly if the freaks in administration decide to act on their threat and I lose my license I plan to go tend bar. It would not be the worse day of my life if I lost my RN. I fear not, but agree the reality is, this is what nursing has become, big fish eats little fish.
I've been thinking the same thing.
I haven't ever seen anyone lose their license in 11 years of health care. I have seen a couple nurses 'let go' when they were coming to work drunk or stealing drugs. They were let go for other things like tardiness or one for actually stealing towels.
i work in a very populous state on the east coast. Yet when i look up actions taken against nursing licenses, i get a list of about 50 nurses who have had action taken, some of them going back as far as 2003! There are hospitals near here with over 1000 beds -- how many nurses do you think are employed in just one 1000 bed hospital? How many nurses do you think are employed in just one city like new york, dc, baltimore, philadelphia or boston?
When i lived in wisconsin, i'd get a newsletter quarterly with about 20-25 names of nurses with pending disciplinary action. Only a few of those nurses had actually lost their licenses. So where is all this hysteria about "loosing" a nursing license coming from?
We have new grads quitting their jobs after mere months because they're afraid they might "loose" their license -- and by the way, the work is too hard, the hours suck and the other nurses are mean to them. Now there's a thread about brutal doctors and calling them -- and someone brings up fear that they might lose their license. What's up with all of this? Are nursing schools scaring people silly about the idea of losing your license? Or is this just an excuse people are grasping to avoid things they'd rather avoid?
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY 100% CORRECT!!!! :yelclap:
The biggest myths in nursing:
"If you make a medication error, you'll lose your license"
"If you make a mistake, you'll lose your license"
"If that IV infiltrates, patient gets injured, etc...you'll lose your license".
Folks...I challenge everyone to go to the BON and review of why PEOPLE REALLY DO lose their nursing licenses!!!!
They lose their licenses for:
DRUG ABUSE
SHOWING UP IMPAIRED
FALSE CHARTING
NOT REPORTING A CRIMINAL CONVICTION
GETTING A CRIMINAL CONVICTION (ESP. DRUG/ALCOHOL RELATED)
NEGLECT: THIS IS USUALLY GOING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND NEVER CHECKING ON THE PATIENT...NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TWO MINUTES AFTER YOU WALKED OUT OF THE ROOM, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T FIND YOUR PATIENT DEAD 12 HOURS LATER.
NOT RENEWING LICENSE
Seriously, I haven't even seen one lost for ANY reason, other that what shows up above.
I've read posts from nurses on this board about people (notably family members angry they didn't get their way angry patients who didn't get their way, and even stalkers) who made anonymous complaints to the Board of Nursing. [b']In one case, the nurse had her license taken away after her stalker made a complaint to the Board of Nursing because it was seen as a nurse having a relationship with a patient.[/b] A lot of things on the internet have to be taken with a grain of salt, but those actions by those crazy people against nurses can give one pause. Taking away a nurse's livelihood is worse than throwing a bedpan full of urine and feces at a nurse..
....this is why you cannot believe everything you read on Allnurses.com.
I can think of 1,000 ways that nurse could have protected herself (IF the case even really happened).
You document if a patient is acting inappropriate, you document if they are calling/paging you inappropriately. You report it to the hospital if it is happening after the patient has been discharged. Then you ask for an assignment change if it is home health.
That way, you have DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE IN YOUR FAVOR if the patient becomes a stalker.
The BON doesn't take away a license with a he said/she said story. Mainly because it doesn't hold up in a court of law. There has to be proof and nurses need to always work with their best interests in mind.
Agree ... licensure disciplinary actions related to substance abuse outnumber those related to clinical practice by a margin of easily 20 to 1.
I think someone on here even made a subject about nurses getting caught dierting meds don't always lose their license.
I think its crazy, when you hear stuff like that, but then the nursing schools and employers drill it in to you that if you breath to hard you will lose your license.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
*if anyone else is as obsessed with perusing BON licensure meetings as I am, the CA BoN has an excellent website that is perfectly set up for being able to pull up cases based on keywords. Some of what you read is just amazing.
And there went my afternoon, haha. (Hey, we got 5 inches of rain today, what else was I going to do? )
It wasn't so long ago that I was a nursing student(6 years) and I do remember instructors always driving that point home. Also, the nurses who trained me in the OR made a point of it too. Factor in the fact that I have personally seen nurses get thrown under the bus and the surgeon walk away unscathed, and yes, I'm a wee bit cautious.
But, I agree that it has to be a pretty big incident in order for you to lose your license..either that, or diversion of drugs.
Yes, you can lose your license for ONE medication error. In this state, the rules were changed. Formerly, you had to show a pattern of errors that would lead to discipline. That wording was changed to include a single error that could have or did have the potential to harm a patient. And yes- your employer can (and some DO if they are nasty and vindictive) report your write ups to your BON. You can be written up for anything, by anybody- drugs, abuse, being tardy too often, attitude, charting, etc...and what the BON deems 'unprofessional conduct', which can impact your license, can be almost anything- and can be received from any source, even anonymously.
)
HopingICU
57 Posts
Ruby Vee,
I would have to say YES. They have scared us silly! I even wondered if I wanted to finish school at one point. They told us so many horror stories, they sounded ridiculous and unjust.